Die ring mounting and adjustment apparatus

ABSTRACT

A device for readily mounting and adjusting an annular die ring in a die box, characterized by two cradle members movably mounted on a base and aligned to support a ring, releaseable opposite clamping means, preferably a pneumatically operated piston, means attached to both of the cradle members and extending away from the die box to move the cradle members in tandem, generally in the plane of the ring, and means attached to the cradle members and extending away from said die box to move the cradle members toward and away from each other in the plane of the ring. The tandem and relative motion provide adjustment in two different directions along perpendicular axes. In a preferred embodiment, the tandem adjustment means is a screw piece carrying an independently rotatable shaft. The relative adjustment means comprises the same shaft, which has oppositely threaded portions in each of the cradle members, and a gripping means to turn the shaft.

United States Patent 1 Miller July 10, 1973 DIE RING MOUNTING AND ADJUSTMENT APPARATUS [57] ABSTRACT [75] lnvemo Stanley Miller Crystal Lake A device for readily mounting and adjusting an annular [73] Assignee; National c Corporation, Chicago die ring in a die box, characterized by two cradle memn bers movably mounted on a base and aligned to support a ring, releaseable opposite clamping means, preferably [22] led: 1972 a pneumatically operated piston, means attached to [21] 27 4 both of the cradle members and extending away from the die box to move the cradle members in tandem, generally in the plane of the ring, and means attached [52] US. Cl. 72/467 to the cradle members d extending away from i [51] hit. Cl. B210 3/12 die box to move the cradle members toward and away [58] Field Of Search 72/347, 348, 349, from each other in the plane f the ring The tandem 72/467 468 and relative motion provide adjustment in two different directions along perpendicular axes. In a preferred em- [56] References cued bodiment, the tandem adjustment means is a screw UNITED STATES PATENTS piece carrying an independently rotatable shaft. The 1,977,327 10/1934 Smith 721349 relat e adjustment means comprises the same shaft, 3,399,558 9/1968 Smith et al 72/468 which has oppositely threaded portions in each of the cradle members, and a gripping means to turn the shaft. Primary Examiner-Richard J. l-lerbst Attorney-James B. Anderson 10 Claims 3 Drawmg Flgures so s2 41 4| 4 PAIENIEDJUUOIQB ,7 4,293

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DIE RING MOUNTING AND ADJUSTMENT APPARATUS BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates generally to the drawing and ironing of metal tubular pieces and specifically to the mounting and adjusting of female annular die rings in position to cooperate with a male drawing and/or ironing ram.

The term drawing refers to an operation whereby the peripheral area of a flat circular metal sheet is turned generally in a perpendicular direction to the sheet and simultaneously smoothed by means of a drawing punch and die to form a cup. The term ironing refers to the operation whereby the metal upturned by drawing is elongated by reducing its thickness by use of a male punch and female die combination.

Such operations find a great deal of use in the manufacture of container bodies of the type having integral sidewalls and bottoms. Such containers are widely popular particularly in the packaging of beer and beverage products. In the production of such containers there are normally two drawing dies and several ironing dies.

My invention is especially applicable to the mounting and adjusting of the several ironing dies used in container manufacturing. Such dies are normally annular rings axially aligned for mating with a single punch or ram and are referred to herein as ironing rings.

It will readily be appreciated by those skilled in the art that proper mounting and adjustment of ironing rings is difficult and time-consuming. However, proper adjustment of rings is essential to a successful ironing operation, since ironing is a particularly exacting operation. Each ring serves to reduce metal thickness of a container wall by only a few thousandths of an inch, and when several ironing rings are being used they must be concentrically aligned. Misalignment of a single ring could ruin a container and spoil the operation of succeeding rings. Misalignment of a single ring requires that the entire ironing apparatus stop. Therefore, it is desirable that adjustments be made as quickly and exactly as possible.

Adjustment systems used in the past have generally utilized three support points spaced around the peripheral area of an annular ring. Generally at least two of these support points have been radially displaceable by turning a radially aligned screw device located within the die box and closely adjacent the annular rings. Generally a third clamping device such as a spring or air clamp has clamped the ring against two other adjusted points.

Radial adjustment as just described has at least two distinct disadvantages. First, it has shown itself to be cumbersome in operation primarily because of inaccessibility to the adjusters hand. This is particularly true when a muIti-ring die box is involved. Secondly, radial adjustment of a single support point causes movement of the ring in a curved path having vectors along both coordinate axes in the plane of the ring. This makes adjustment a highly skilled operation often requiring considerable trial and error. All of this increases machine downtime, reducing efficiency.

Such problems are magnified whenever there is an increased tendency for rings to be knocked out of adjustment. With the advent of steel drawn and ironed containers, there is an increased need to provide a better mounting and adjustment system. Most drawn and ironed containers in the past have been made of aluminum which is softer than steel. Harder steel causes more shock during metal working and is more likely to cause a misalignment of ironing rings requiring readjustment. The need for a better mounting and adjusting apparatus for ironing rings is not new, but has long been felt in the art. In the past, floating hydraulically driven rams necessitated frequent ring adjustment.

With my invention, I have provided a simple and efficient device for mounting and adjusting ironing rings which overcomes all of the aforementioned problems. My invention uses a three-point mounting arrangement for an annular die ring. Two of the support points are cradle members which effect the adjustment of the ring as will be explained and the third is a releaseable clamping means in a diametrically opposite position from the cradle members with respect to the ring. Adjustment means are attached to the cradle members and extend away therefrom to an accessible position outside the die box structure containing the ring. The adjustment means are operable to effect movement of the cradle members either in tandem generally in the plane of the ring, or in opposite directions in that plane. By tandem movement the ring will be moved laterally.

All of such movement is in a straight line with a vector along one of two coordinate axes in the plane of the ring. Relative movement of the cradle members effects movement of the ring along a straight line generally perpendicular to the tandem movement. The relative movement of cradle members is, in effect, a spreading or narrowing movement, causing the lowering or raising of the ring cradled therein.

The adjuster can readily operate this mechanism from outside the die box. One preferred adjustment means comprises a screw device to cause the tandem movement of cradle members and a separate screw device having two oppositely threaded portions to cause the relative movement, as will be explained hereinafter.

The device of the present invention is simple in operation and may be used in conjunction with an air gauge system to detect the degree of centering of the annular die ring, which ideally is perfectly concentric with the ram therethrough. Such an air gauge system utilizes a dummy adjusting ring which is a duplicate of the die ring in its outside diameter. The inner surface of the dummy ring defines a multiplicity of apertures which are in separate fluid communication with air supply means. Three apertures spaced along the inner surface at intervals are supplied with air. When the ram is extended through the dummy ring, it will restrict or allow the =flow'of air through one or more of these apertures, according to the clearance between the ram and the inner surface of the ring at the circumferential location of each aperture. The flow through each of the apertures ismeasured by a separate gauge. When the flow through all of the apertures is equalized, the clearance around the dummy ring should be constant, that is, the ring and the ram will be concentric, as desired. The dummy ring will then be replaced by the operational die ring, which will be clamped in place. Air gauge systems such as this have been used with the old-style mounting and adjustment apparatus, and have eliminated the need to gain access to within the die box structure to make measurements with, for example, awkward feeler gauges. However, the aforementioned problems of mounting and adjustment remained. My invention has solved these problems.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION It is an object of my invention to provide a mounting and adjustment system for annular female die rings which eliminates the aforementioned problems.

A specific object of my invention is to provide a mounting and adjustment device for die rings which may effect the adjustment of die rings to a centerline without the necessity of awkward manipulations within the die box structure.

Another object of my invention is to provide a ring adjusting apparatus with the aforementioned advantages which will move the ring during adjustment in straight lines along a coordinate axis in the plane of the ring.

Yet another object of my invention is to provide a mounting and adjusting apparatus for die rings which increases efficiency of a production line by reducing downtime.

These and other important objects will become apparent from the following descriptions and from the accompanying drawings which show preferred embodiments, and which form a part of the specification. In the figures, like reference numerals designate like parts with like function.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a plan view of a die box containing four ironing rings and having the devices of my invention.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view of the die box of FIG. l as indicated by Section 22 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view along one ironing ring as indicated by Section 3-3 in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Referring specifically to FIG. 1, a top view of a portion of a ironing apparatus is shown. End 22 of an ironing ram is shown in dotted lines in a position adjacent die box 24, which it is about to enter. Cup feed 26 is located adjacent die box 24 in a position such that drawn cups may be placed in the path of movement of ram 22. Ram 22 receives the open ends of the cups as they move toward die box 24. Die box 24 has four ironing rings, not shown, therein. Ram 22 will mate with each of the ironing rings in a forward stroke and each ironing ring will slightly reduce the wall thickness of the drawn cups and thereby increase the length of the cups. A means not shown will withdraw the cups from the die box area after the cups are stripped from ram 22 in a withdrawal stroke.

For each of the ironing rings there is a pair of gripping members, namely first gripping member 30 and second gripping member 32, located outside of die box 24,, adjacent the location of the ironing ring. Gripping members 30 and 32 are in a position where they may readily be manipulated by hand.

Referring now specifically to FIGS. 2 and 3, ironing rings 34 are shown clamped into position by air actuated clamp 36. Clamp 36 holds an ironing ring 34 against first and second cradle members 38 and 40 respectively, as best shown in FIG. 3. Clamp 36 and cradle members 38 and 40 provide three support points for ironing ring 34 at locations around the circular periphery thereof. Clamp 36 is connected to piston 42 which is moved into a clamping position by air pressure in chamber 44. Chamber 44 is in communication with an air supply through channel 46. Clamp 36 is released by reducing the pressure in chamber $4 and by increasing the pressure in chamber 48, through channel 50. Such a clamping means is well known to those skilled in the art. Other clamping means may be used with my invention.

Ring 34 has a handle 52 attached at one circumferential point thereon. This facilitates insertion and removal of ring 34 when clamp 36 is released. The operator sets ring 34 on cradle members 38 and 4th and then actuates clamp 36 to lock ring 34 in place.

Cradle members 38 and 40 are movable mounted on a portion of die box 24 generally in the plane of associated ring 34. The location of cradle members 38 and 40 and their relative placement one to the other determine the location of ironing ring 34. Cradle members 38 and 40 have inclined surfaces 41 on which ring 34 rests.

First gripping member 30 is threaded to turn in fixed member 54 which forms a part of the structure of die box 24. First gripping member 30 carries an independently rotatable shaft 56 which extends into die box 24 and is attached to first and second cradle members 38 and 40. Rotatable shaft 56 is moved axially through the rotation of first gripping member 30 which in turn moves cradle members 38 and 40 in tandem to the right or to the left as shown in FIG. 3. Rotation of first gripping member 30 does not, however, turn rotatable shaft 56, since the two are not positively connected.

Shaft 56 is positively attached to second gripping member 32. Turning second gripping member 32 rotates shaft 56. Shaft 56 has a first portion 58 threaded through first cradle member 38 and a second portion 60 threaded through second cradle member 40.

The threading on first portion 58 is in an opposite direction of that on second portion 60 such that the rotation of shaft 56 in a fixed axial position effects relative movement between cradle members 38 and 40. For example, clockwise rotation of second gripping member 32 and rotatable shaft 56 causes cradle members 38 and 40 to move closer together while counterclockwise rotation moves them further apart. By this motion ironing ring 34 may be raised and lowered, that is, moved in a direction normal to the axis of shaft 56.

The movement of cradle members 38 and 40 is in a substantially tangential direction with respect to ironing ring 34. Rotation of first gripping member 30 moves cradle members 38 and 40 in tandem generally in the plane of ring 34 and tangentially of ring 34. Rotation of second gripping member 32 moves cradle members 38 and 40 relative one to the other in opposite substantially tangential directions in the plane of ring 34.

When used in conjunction with an air gauge positiondetermining means as described above, misalignment of ironing ring 34 can be readily detected and corrected without gaining access to die box 24 other than to insert rings.

When several ironing rings are in a single die box they are independently adjustable. A multiplicity of rings does not interfere with the mounting and adjustment ease provided by my invention for each of the rings.

Most of the parts of the ring mounting and adjustment device of my invention may be made of machine steel. Appropriate and satisfactory materials will be apparent to those skilled in the art who are familar with my invention.

While in the foregoing specification this invention has been described in relation to certain preferred embodiments thereof, and many details have been set forth for purpose of illustration, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention is susceptible to additional embodiments and that certain of the details described herein can be varied considerably without departing from the basic principles of the invention.

I claim: 1. A device for mounting and adjusting an annular die ring in a die box, said die being of the type having a periphery of substantially circular profile and presenting an inner surface of circular profile defining an aperture through which a ram will extend, comprising:

a base and die box structure; first and second cradle members movable mounted on said base and aligned to support said ring at two points on one half of the periphery thereof;

releaseable clamping means associated with said die box structure in a position substantially diametrically opposite said cradle members to hold said ring against said cradle members;

first means attached to both said cradle members and extending outside said die box to move said members in tandem generally in the plane of said ring and tangentially of said ring; and

second means attached to said cradle members and extending outside said die box to move said members relative one to the other in opposite substantially tangential directions generally in the plane of said ring.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said first means comprises a first member movably mounted in said die box structure and carrying an independently rotatable shaft which is attached to said cradle members.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein said shaft has oppositely threaded portions attached to said cradle members and has a first gripping portion outside said die box to allow rotation of said shaft, said shaft comprising said second means.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein said first member comprises adjustable screw means having a second gripping portion outside said die box.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein said releaseable clamping means is actuated by a pneumatically operated piston.

6. The device of claim 1, further including means to determine the position of said ring relative to a fixed ram therethrough.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein said position determining means comprises a duplicate dummy adjusting ring having an inner surface defining a multiplicity of spaced apertures in separate fluid communication with air supply means, and gauges to determine air flow through each of said apertures.

8. The device of claim 4, further including means to determine the position of said ring relative to a fixed ram therethrough.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein said position determining means comprises a duplicate dummy adjusting ring having an inner surface defining a multiplicity of spaced apertures in separate fluid communication with air supply means, and gauges to determine air flow through each of said apertures.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein said releaseable clamping means is actuated by a pneumatically operated piston. 

1. A device for mounting and adjusting an annular die ring in a die box, said die being of the type having a periphery of substantially circular profile and presenting an inner surface of circular profile defining an aperture through which a ram will extend, comprising: a base and die box structure; first and second cradle members movable mounted on said base and aligned to support said ring at two points on one half of the periphery thereof; releaseable clamping means associated with said die box structure in a position substantially diametrically opposite said cradle members to hold said ring against said cradle members; first means attached to both said cradle members and extending outside Said die box to move said members in tandem generally in the plane of said ring and tangentially of said ring; and second means attached to said cradle members and extending outside said die box to move said members relative one to the other in opposite substantially tangential directions generally in the plane of said ring.
 2. The device of claim 1, wherein said first means comprises a first member movably mounted in said die box structure and carrying an independently rotatable shaft which is attached to said cradle members.
 3. The device of claim 2, wherein said shaft has oppositely threaded portions attached to said cradle members and has a first gripping portion outside said die box to allow rotation of said shaft, said shaft comprising said second means.
 4. The device of claim 3, wherein said first member comprises adjustable screw means having a second gripping portion outside said die box.
 5. The device of claim 4, wherein said releaseable clamping means is actuated by a pneumatically operated piston.
 6. The device of claim 1, further including means to determine the position of said ring relative to a fixed ram therethrough.
 7. The device of claim 6, wherein said position determining means comprises a duplicate dummy adjusting ring having an inner surface defining a multiplicity of spaced apertures in separate fluid communication with air supply means, and gauges to determine air flow through each of said apertures.
 8. The device of claim 4, further including means to determine the position of said ring relative to a fixed ram therethrough.
 9. The device of claim 8, wherein said position determining means comprises a duplicate dummy adjusting ring having an inner surface defining a multiplicity of spaced apertures in separate fluid communication with air supply means, and gauges to determine air flow through each of said apertures.
 10. The device of claim 9, wherein said releaseable clamping means is actuated by a pneumatically operated piston. 